Huckabee: Life is good

“Center stage at the renowned Surf Ballroom, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee gave the bass guitar all he had: Born to be Wild, followed by R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. Tweens, meanwhile, snapped cell phone pictures of the 52-year-old candidate and occasional rocker. Huckabee laughed, his dimples deepening in his cheeks.” ¹

His campaign is hot. Life is good.

In the face of the recent spate of attacks on his credibility and his record as governor of Arkansas , Mike Huckabee remains enthusiastic and optimistic.

“I must be doing well,” Huckabee said Saturday morning in response when he was informed of Romney’s comment.

Huckabee for the first time passed Romney in a national poll on Friday. The Rasmussen Reports, considered one of the nation’s most accurate polling firm, announced Friday that “for the first time ever” Huckabee moved into the top four.
[…]
“I guess I’d be coming after me too,” Huckabee said. “I’d also be crying, if I’d spent all that money.” ²

Time’s Karen Tumulty even says of the attacks, that the attention “is a good thing.” ³

I agree.

Long stymied by their self-imposed quagmire of Dixiephobia, over-the-top rhetoric from the Left, and wildly exaggerated claims of “theocracy” serve only to unite Southern Christians. Left-wing interest groups frame their criticism around their pet issues, but these early attacks signal a growing fear of the potential generational loss of Judiciary favor. Their fear will serve to drive a form of rhetorical arson in the general election that will make the current anti-war silliness look tame by comparison.

Critics on the Right, most notably John Fund and Pat Toomey are advocating for their own self interests. Claiming the mantle of pro-business and pro-growth, their opposition to the Fair Tax reveals them to be neither. They represent the status quo – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Toomey, along with some $2 million in advertising from the Club for Growth, ran an unsuccessful campaign to unseat Arlen Specter. He left Congress in 2004 to become President of …wait for it… the Club for Growth. ⁴ Toomey spends most of his time criticizing other Republicans for not being as conservative as he is. If a $2 million advertising war chest wasn’t enough to convince Pennsylvania voters of his conservative bona fides, then perhaps his brand of conservatism is not mainstream.

Nor are the entrenched interests on Wall Street fans of Huckabee. Labeling him a self-absorbed populist who favors the interests of Main Street over Wall Street, Fund’s preference for Romney’s or Guiliani’s pliable brand of fiscal policy is certainly understandable. Huckabee left the Governor’s office with approval ratings in the high 60’s, a nearly $1 Billion budget surplus, and has taken the American’s for Tax Relief pledge, which Guiliani hasn’t signed. ⁵ His commitment to good governance and fiscal responsibility really isn’t an issue to fair-minded Republicans.

The one issue that unites all Republicans is National Security. It is the reason that there is still such a large number of ideologically diverse candidates in the Republican field. These are candidates who have differences on a range of issues. Sorting out those differences is what the Primary process is all about. And, while some factions within the party have decided on a candidate, the large Christian base of the party has not. Huckabee is still largely unknown nationally, but that is quickly changing. As the campaign money continues to roll in, the buzz becomes measurable, and momentum undeniable, for Huckabee, life is good, indeed.

Update: mydd compares the Huck on-line campaign to Dean ‘03. That, my friends is high praise.

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Comment posted by no2liberals
at 10/28/2007 7:36:20 PM

There are a few other nit-picky things, but I’m holding fire until the process plays itself out a little more.
I know there are no perfect candidates.

Comment posted by Nuke
at 10/28/2007 7:26:37 PM

You’re right, I remember that post.

Comment posted by no2liberals
at 10/28/2007 7:08:13 PM

Which is all the more baffling, as I wrote in the story back in early July. W told them he would veto it if they sent the bill they sent, and that he wanted them to work on it, and he also wanted the members of the Adult party in Congress to offer a serious alternative. That Mike offered such a weak statement could be explained by campaigning, but the reality is the donks are just as happy with the issue, as they would be with socialized medicine. They are of the Silly party, and don’t view good governance as anything other than there personal aggrandizement.
Maybe Mike doesn’t want to blast them for their silliness, but at least offer a stronger statement.

Comment posted by Nuke
at 10/28/2007 6:05:13 PM

He was saying that the program was too important for it to have been allowed to become a political football. And, that serious talks should have been held long before the Pres was forced to veto it.

Comment posted by no2liberals
at 10/28/2007 5:48:55 PM

I’m still pulling for Mike, but now have more questions than I did before. Which, of course, is what the prelims are all about.
What exactly did he mean, when he said he didnt understand the all or nothing exchanges over the S(-C)HIP?
We’ll see, as things develop, other candidates drop out, and the Klug lights shine more brightly.